MCA Scuttlebutt

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we are joined by Col John Atkinson and SgtMaj Justin LeHew to give us updates on the Amphibious Tractor Memorial. Since we last spoke with John and JD, these two, and the entirety of the Amphibious Tractor Association, have been working tirelessly on building the memorial, and finally, after seven and a half years, have a date for the groundbreaking. We talk about the legacy of the amphibious tractor and why it matters, the significance of the groundbreaking, and what is in store for the festivities.  The groundbreaking will be at 3pm on Thursday, Oct 23rd, on the Memorial Walk of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. For those in the National Capital Region, please join us in celebrating this achievement, and those Marines who proudly wear the moniker, “Amtrac’er”  YAT YAS!  amphibioustractormemorial.com/golf-tournament  <p>The post #215: Amphibious Tractor Memorial Updates first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. This week, we bring you the penultimate episode of our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Throughout the rest of the year, we’ll continue featuring stories and history from throughout the 250 years of the Marine Corps. These episodes are nested within the MCA’s overall Road to 250 Campaign, where we have featured articles in both the Gazette and Leatherneck highlighting events and battles within specific periods in Marine Corps history. The MCA also has a commemorative Road to 250 coin collection. These commemorative challenge coins can only be found through the MCA. Go to marineshop.net to order individual coins or email customerservice@mca-marines.org to order the entire set or learn more.  This month, we walk the Road to 250 during the Global War on Terror era of Marine Corps history. Walking with us is LtCol Michal Wyrsch, an artillery officer turned Harrier pilot who eventually flew F-35s before retiring. Michael shares his experiences as an artillery forward observer during Operation Phantom Fury and a Harrier pilot during Operation Odyssey Dawn, the air campaign in Libya during the Arab Spring. As a member of multiple MEUs, his participation during the Long War spans the land, sea, and air, and we are excited to engage with his unique perspective on the decades-long war across multiple theaters.   Enjoy!  <p>The post #214: Road to 250 – Operation Odyssey Dawn first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Adam Walker to the show. Adam is the creator of Leatherneck Magazine’s newest segment, Lessons from the Smoke Pit. Adam is a retired Master Gunnery Sergeant who has found a lot of value in telling the sometimes tragic, but oftentimes funny, stories of his experiences in the Marine Corps. He talks to us about the value of having a creative outlet, especially for veterans. There’s only so much room in our packs, and finding a way to process our experiences is a valuable way to lighten the load and work through the things we’ve been through. He also shares his road to the yellow footprints, his experiences recruiting during September 11th, and his time serving during the Long War. Adam’s perspectives are so profound, and his genuine humility is so infectious and disarming. This is a great conversation, and we can’t wait to get more lessons from the smoke pit.   Enjoy!  <p>The post #213: Lessons from the Smoke Pit with Adam Walker first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome a saxophonist from the Marine Corps’ President’s Own Band, Gunnery Sergeant Connor Mikula. This is a conversation we’ve been wanting to have for a while, so it was a real treat to have Gunny Mikula take time out of his busy schedule to come down and hang out with us. Gunny takes us through his journey to being a member of the President’s Own, how the President’s Own fits into the overall mission of the Marine Corps, and his experiences touring and performing at the White House and 8th and I. It was a lot of fun learning about this extremely niche organization within the Marine Corps and getting to see behind the curtain on the President’s Own and what it’s like to be a member of this elite musical organization.    Enjoy!  marineband.marines.mil  instagram.com/connor_james_mikula  <p>The post #212: Jam Sesh with the President’s Own’ saxophonist, GySgt Connor Mikula first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Chaplain CDR David Duprey and Dr. Lelia Brady to the show. Chaplain Duprey is a Navy chaplain currently attending Naval War College and Dr. Brady is the Assistant Branch Head- Prevention & Response, Behavioral Programs. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and we are so lucky that CDR Duprey and Dr. Brady were able to make time in their busy schedules to come on and talk to us about their work in this important endeavor. Both of our guests have dedicated their lives to holistic health and well-being and are devoted to helping Marines and service members thrive both mentally and physically. This episode is full of great nuggets, wisdom, and resources. As always, if you need help, get help. And if you haven’t heard from a friend in a while – reach out. Too many of the people we’ve served with have the words, “I had no idea” or “I hadn’t talked to them in years,” when we find out about a fallen brother or sister. Don’t underestimate the power of something as simple as a text or phone call.  Enjoy!  linkedin.com/in/lelia-b-b4933914a/  https://www.marines.mil/News/Marines-TV/videoid/507397/dvpTag/Chaplains <p>The post #211: Recognizing Suicide Prevention Awareness Month with Chaplain CDR David Duprey and Dr. Lelia Brady first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Throughout the rest of the year, we’ll feature stories and history from throughout the 250 years of the Marine Corps. These episodes will be nested within the MCA’s overall Road to 250 Campaign, where you will find featured articles in both the Gazette and Leatherneck highlighting events and battles within specific periods in Marine Corps history. The MCA also has a commemorative Road to 250 coin collection. These commemorative challenge coins can only be found through the MCA. Go to marineshop.net to order individual coins or email customerservice@mca-marines.org to order the entire set or learn more.  This month, we walk the Road to 250 with another Semper Cinema crossover. The team decided to watch Heartbreak Ridge. Luckily, the film is set around the 1983 invasion of Grenada, which fits into September’s era of Marine Corps history, or else we might be accused of just using the podcast as an excuse to watch cheesy Marine Corps movies on the association’s dime. And, to add further legitimacy to this segment, we brought our editor-in-chief, Col Chris Woodbridge, into the studio to talk about the movie, the invasion of Granada, and what influences both have had on a generation of Marines coming up in the 80s and 90s.     Enjoy!.  <p>The post #210: Road to 250/Semper Cinema – Heartbreak Ridge first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in. This week is the conclusion of our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, we were recording from the showroom floor, but as some of you know, this year we recorded some on video for our YouTube channel and others we recorded as audio-only podcasts. In this series, we’ve covered conversations ranging from veteran support organizations to future ops and wargaming to Toys for Tots, so if you missed any, please go back and check them out. We’ve really enjoyed sharing these conversations with you. Hope to see you at Modern Day Marine 2026.  Our final episode features Gunnar Spafford and John Haehn from Toys for Tots. Gunnar is the Deputy Vice President of Business Development and John is not only the Media Manager but also the voice of and mascot of Gunny Bear, the Toys for Tots mascot. Gunnar and John talk to us about what it is that Toys for Tots does, some of the history of the foundation and it’s links to Walk Disney, some of the successes and challenges, and how people can support providing for children at need. One of the mottos of Toys for Tots is that it’s more than just a toy and we’re really happy that we were able to put a spotlight on the good things this foundation is doing for kids and the community.   Enjoy!  linkedin.com/in/gunnar-spafford  linkedin.com/in/john-haehn-184a63102  toysfortots.org  <p>The post #209: MDM 2025 – Toys for Tots first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and for your continued support. This week, we continue with our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, we were recording from the showroom floor, but as some of you know, this year we recorded some on video for our YouTube channel and others we recorded as audio-only podcasts. For the next few weeks, we will be releasing these audio-only conversations that range from veteran support organizations to future ops and wargaming to Toys for Tots. We’re really looking forward to sharing these conversations with you.   This week’s episode features George Leone from Homecoming 250 Navy and Marine Corps. George is the founder and president of Homecoming 250 Navy and Marine Corps. George discusses with us his foundation’s plan for the Navy and Marine Corps’ 250th celebration and shares with us the impetus behind this charity volunteer foundation, as well as his personal background on how he came to create it.    Enjoy!  homecoming250.org  linkedin.com/in/george-s-leone  <p>The post #208: MDM 2025 – Homecoming 250 with George Leone first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. This week, we continue with our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, we were recording from the showroom floor, but as some of you know, this year we recorded some on video for our YouTube channel and others we recorded as audio-only podcasts. For the next few weeks, we will be releasing these audio-only conversations that range from veteran support organizations to future ops and wargaming to Toys for Tots. We’re really looking forward to sharing these conversations with you.   This week’s episode features Matt Watkins from Operation Headshot. Matt talks to us about his journey to the yellow footprints, transitioning from active duty to the reserves, and Operation Headshot. Operation Headshot provides tools for transitioning military members, veterans, and spouses to help build a brand, expand their network, and become self-sufficient in pursuit of success as they navigate life beyond military service. He explains how his battles with mental health led to his desire to give back and create Operation Headshot to lower unemployment rates among veterans and military spouses, ease financial distress, and improve mental health and well-being of military families.  Enjoy!  operationheadshot.com  linkedin.com/in/matthewwatkins13  <p>The post #207: MDM 2025 – Matt Watkins and Operation Headshot first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Throughout the rest of the year, we’ll feature stories and history from throughout the 250 years of the Marine Corps. These episodes will be nested within the MCA’s overall Road to 250 Campaign, where you will find featured articles in both the Gazette and Leatherneck highlighting events and battles within specific periods in Marine Corps history. The MCA also has a commemorative Road to 250 coin collection. These commemorative challenge coins can only be found through the MCA. Go to marineshop.net to order individual coins or email customerservice@mca-marines.org to order the entire set or learn more.  For August, we walk the Road to 250 during the Vietnam War era with our guest and Leatherneck legend, Paul Thompson.  As a young Marine Combat Correspondent, Sgt Paul Thompson was assigned to the staff of Leatherneck in the 1960s. He traveled throughout Vietnam, telling Marines’ stories as he covered the war for the magazine. Paul joins us in studio to tell us what it was like being recording history as it unfolded.  Enjoy!  Related Leatherneck Articles:The People of Leatherneck, November 2017 Hue, July 1968 – Republished February 2022 <p>The post #206: Road to 250 – Vietnam War with Leatherneck Legend Paul Thompson first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>